Triangle chair brace



May 12, 1925; 1,537,400

J. W. WOHLHIETER TRIANGLE CHAIR BRACE Filed Dec. 20, 1922 nvenlioz Patented May 12, 192-5.

UNITED STATES terrace JOSEPH W. WOHLHIETER, CF NEW RK, NEWJERSEY.

TRIANGLE CHAIR BRACE.

Application -fi1ed iDeccmber 20, 192.2. Seria1'N0.:607,942.

To all. whom it may concern Be it known that Josnrrr W. lVOI-ILHIETER,-

citizen of United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Triangle I Chair Braces, of which the following is a specification.

lhis invention relates to 'furnitu-re,-a-nd has specialre'ference to a chair brace for bracing the legs and stretchers of chairs firmly together.

While the inve-ntionhas been designed for furniture, it is obvious that it can be successfully applied touanything requiring bracing from three different angles :or positions. Specifically the present embodiment relates to a triangular chair brace 'for bracing a leg and two of the converging stretchers of wicker chairs together to form a unitary structure.

In the construction of wicker chairs, the stretchers, at the front andsides, are made to converge to a common point on the leg. The reason forthis is thatthese stretchers are-used to supportthe seat formed by the wicker or reed, and it is thus necessary that the edges of the reed Work be at thesame level, to preserve the substantial flatness of the seat of the chair, sofa,-=or other similar article. Onaccount of the necessity of these stretchers being on a common level on the leg, it is impossible to mortise and tenon the ends of the stretchers which are usually of substantially the same diameter as'the leg, or nearly of that :diameter, in the leg without so weakening the'latter that it will readily break 05. The usual manner of fasteningsuch stretchers to the-chair-leg is to pass a screw diametrically through the leg, and into the end of the stretcher. Under these conditions, the'joint which is madewin this manner is weakyand is apt to, under thestresses incident to usefiail by the screw pulling out of theend of the stretcher.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a triangular or threecornered brace which will notonly connect each of a pair of converging stretchersito the leg, but will also brace these-stretchers together.

A second important object of the invention is to provide a brace of this character which is so-constructed that the ends of the brace will lie fiat on the stretchers and leg of the chair so that the winding ofithe reed or wicker 'WOBk around the leg and .stret'chers maybe, to all intents and purposes, smooth .and unbroken, such winding passing over the flat attachrngends 0f the brace 'WIthOUtAHIakIHg an unsightly bulge .or projection.

A third important .object of the invention is to provide-a brace of this character wherethe brace members themselves .will be verystiflf and strong while the connection to' the-.stretchers and-leg will besuchas to permit-ofwinding continuously along the .leg,-.this being effected by-the peculiar construction of the brace -at itsjunction to the le A fourth important object of the invention is-the provision-bf a new article of ma-nutacture stamped from sheet or plate metal, and shaped to form an improved three-cornered or triangular brace for the purpose described.

lW-ith the above and other objects in View -as will behereinafter apparenh-the invention conslsts in general of certaln novel de tails otconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings-like charactersof reference indicate like parts in the several views, and:

Fig. 1 rlSaZl perspective view of'a corner of a chair frame showing the manner of using the triangular brace.

Fig. 2 is a planview of such brace.

Fig. 3 is .a section on the line -33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sect-ion through a portion of one of the chairmembers and za corner of the braceshowing the close manner H1'WlHOlIthG'WlClEGI wrapping 1s :POSL- tioned on the chair .mei-nber.

In the embodiment :of: the invention herein illustrated, thesame hasubeen" shown as applied toa chair corner whereinitheleg-oi? the chair its-indicated .at-1;O,--.anc'l .a pair of stretchers Hand 12 areshowirasconverging and uneeturg the leg at a common level above the bottom of the leg. The manner of securing'these stretchers'is indicatedat 13 by the screw :head there shown.

The brace itself forming thesubject matter of this invention, is stamped from a single piece of sheet steel of suitable thickness, and of general triangular form, the corners of the triangle being rounded off as at 14, and the interior of the triangle being cut out to present a substantially triangular space 15.

The triangle thus formed is preferably an equilateral triangle, and the metal of its legs 16 is bent transversely to trough shape intermediate the ends. The metal on each angle of the triangle is flattened out as at 17, and

is then bent to form a short trough 18 angularly disposed with reference to the flattened portions 17, and provided with a suitable nail, or rivet receiving opening 19. This short trough 18 is curved in the direction opposite the trough shaped central portions of the legs of the triangle, and its curvature is such that it will, when in position on the chair, fit snugly on the stretcher or leg, as the case may be, so that the rivets 20 may be passed through the openings in the apices of the triangle to secure these apices to the respective parts of the chair. By reason of the trough orchannel shape formation between the apices, the device is exceedingly stiff for its weight, and owing to the three i bracing elements, each of which is formed by one side of the triangle, being integral, but three rivets 20 are necessary for placing the device in position on thechair.

Another feature that is of importance rests in the manner in which the flattened portions 17 are disposed at an angle to the short troughs 18. With the construction thus made, the short troughs 18 fit snugly on the chair members so that the wicker wrapping can be carried right over them without producing any unsightly bulge or projection, while the angularly disposed flat portions permit the wicker wrappings to be made continuously along the chair member withoutany breaking or interruption of the winding exposing the wooden chair member between the wrappings.

In the manufacture of these devices, the three-cornered braces may be made by stamping and pressing from ordinary sheet metal, a cutting die being used to form the blank, and the latter then being simply pressed to shape in suitable dies.

There has thus been provided. a simple and efficient device of V the kind described and for the purpose specified.

It will be noted that by reason of the semi circular formation of the brace between the corners of the triangle, and by reason of the position of the brace on the chair, the brace may be covered by wicker winding and present a proper and rounded appearance in the absence of a skirting whichwill not in terfere with the harmonious design of the chair. Furthermore, this round prevents 1 sharp bends being made in the wicker work which would ten to break it when so wound.

memes Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

11A brace for connecting the leg of a chair, to a pair of chair stretchers, and comprising a triangular member having the apices of the triangles angularly disposed with reference to the body of the triangle andbentto form trough shaped portions adapted to seat respectively on theleg and strctchers, said trough shaped portions being provided with rivet receiving openings.

chair to a pair of the chair stretchers, and comprising a triangular member having the apices of the triangles angularly disposed with reference to the body of the triangle and bent to form trough shaped portions adapted to seat respectivelv on the leg and stretchers, said trough shaped portions being provided with rivet receiving openings, the central portion of said brace being cut away and the legs between the open center and the periphery of the triangle being bent to trough shape in a direction opposite the first mentioned trough shaped portion.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a three-cornered chair brace cut and stamped from a single piece of sheet metal, said chair bra'ce being formed from a triangular blank having a triangular opening in its center with the sides of the opening and the blanks substantially parallel, said blanks being stamped to form trough shaped legs connecting the apices of the triangle, the metal on the apices being flattened and formed to constitute terminal troughs angularly to the flattened portions and curved in a direction opposite to the curvature of the legs, said terminal troughs being provided with rivet receiving openings.

4. In a brace for furniture, a unitary body of closed triangular shape, the three apices 2. A. brace for connecting the leg of a Y of which are perforated and equally spaced ing a triangular body having its central portion cut away for providing three arms of equal length and breadth, the portions of the body adjacent the intersection of the arms being perforated to receive attaching devices, and the said perforated portions being formed with seats for conforming to the surfaces of the legs and rails of furniture, and the medial portions of said arms being partially rolled for stiffening said portions.

6. A furniture corner brace comprising a three-sided integral body having each side length transversely contracted to provide for lengthwise reinforcement thereof, the corners of said body being deflected to one side of the plane of the body and transversely dished to form corner seats.

7. A furniture corner brace comprising a triangular body having an open center, the sides of said body being bowed transversely with the inner edges merging into one another and the outer edges extended outwardly at the corner to form attaching tabs.

8. As an article of manufacture, a f1lrniture corner brace comprising an equilateral three-sided body, having its sides substantially in the same plane and spaced from the corner of the furniture, and the points of intersection of the sides formed to seat on the frame members of the furniture at points spaced from the corner.

9. In combination With an article of furniture having a corner formed by three converging frame members, of a substantially fiat brace body secured to the three frame members at points spaced from the corner and lying in a plane cutting the three frame members and forming the base for a pyramid formed by the three frame members.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOSEPH W. WOI-ILHIETER. 

